How Effective Is Hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy, also known as water therapy or aquatic therapy, utilises warm water for health purposes and exercises. Users sit in a hydrotherapy pool, and it helps with joint pain relief. You can tailor the aquatic exercises to your requirements, building up flexibility and muscle strength as you progress.
It has been used to reduce pain in arthritis sufferers but can also be used for more temporary skin conditions such as burns and septic ulcers. Physiotherapists use this form of treatment as the water helps many problems and can target certain limbs in their patients.
There are many health benefits to using hydrotherapy pools, and water is being used as an ongoing natural pain reliever.
Like spa therapy, which believes that water has mineral content with health-giving properties, hydrotherapy has many healing benefits regardless of the type of water used.
Ongoing research is being conducted into how effective hydrotherapy is, but a beneficial form will emerge with a range of options available to you.
Types Of Hydrotherapy Treatments
You can perform a type of hydrotherapy at your home, but your doctor or physical therapist can also advise on the best kind of hydrotherapy for your requirements.
Most commonly, you can receive hydrotherapy in hot tubs, swimming pools, whirlpools, showers, baths, and saunas.
This is a common form of hydrotherapy and helps to relieve pain through physical activity. This treatment program is ideal for building muscle strength and aiding joint pain without excess pressure being placed on them.
Heart rate and increased blood flow will follow this aquatic exercise designed for older people or those with arthritis or fibromyalgia.
Running yourself warm water baths is a simple form of hydrotherapy that you can do at home. Essential oils, salt and minerals can be added to the water to help muscle relaxation, similar to spa therapy.
These can be incredibly relaxing and relieves pain in individuals.
Another popular method of hydrotherapy is a sitz bath, which is done with a choice of cold water or warm water. These types of hydrotherapy sessions can ease cramp pain or issues from haemorrhoids in patients.
The effectiveness of this example depends on the person and the support required.
Wraps and compresses are used as physiotherapy treatment with a choice of warm, hot or cold water.
These can increase circulation and promote metabolic wastes and oxygen supply, which can increase blood flow.
Saunas are a popular hydrotherapy treatment and can be done in wet or dry heat saunas.
These can help improve mental health, relieve stress and alleviate painful bodily symptoms associated with several conditions.
This can also be called contrast hydrotherapy as it involves moving through several types of water therapy. The patient will typically switch between cold water and warm water, promoting circulation and easing symptoms.
Coldwater will stimulate the lymphatic system and remove toxins from the body.
This happens when a person immerses themselves in water to provide relief for muscle soreness and general health and well-being. This can be done in warm baths, sitz baths, hot tubs, or even cold water immersion is possible.
Benefits Of Hydrotherapy
There are many benefits of hydrotherapy and water-based exercise. This treatment program is on the rise among those that have difficulty performing land exercises but want a form of physical activity.
If you have injured tissues or are looking for a way of reducing pain, improving blood pressure and pushing your body, here are some of the benefits of aquatic exercises:
Hydrotherapy stimulates a good state of mental clarity and mental health, improving anxiety and depression in some people.
People living with fibromyalgia have noted that swimming improves mood and helps provide resistance and release tension in their joints.
Warm water temperatures have significantly improved the pain relief of people living with chronic diseases. Whether through special exercises or a steam bath, you can find muscle relaxation, increased blood flow and pain relief in the desired area.
The warmth of the water can ease the body, giving you a natural painkiller for a few hours. In water, your reduced weight makes it easier for your joints.
Hydrotherapy can also benefit people living with arthritis.
If you have knee osteoarthritis, water therapy can significantly improve pain and knee function for up to 8 weeks after the exercise. Oxidative stress can lower in arthritis sufferers too.
Unlike land exercises, aquatic therapy is much lower impact on the joints and muscles.
When you devise a workout plan with your healthcare professional that aims to boost general fitness and health status using hydrotherapy, you can rest assured you can continue with the workout and not receive joint pain as a result.
Movement can be improved over continued aquatic exercise when compared to land exercise.
When the body experiences hydrotherapy, you can become more relaxed physically and mentally. As the body temperature increases in the warm water, your muscles become more relaxed and ease tension.
If you're struggling with mental relaxation, you can use hydrotherapy to feel tired and put your mind to ease.
If you have experienced muscle soreness or injury from workouts, contrast water therapy greatly improves pain relief and helps avoid delayed onset muscle soreness.
This can provide a faster recovery across various systems in the body.
Hydrotherapy can help those in labour with pain and post-pregnancy aches and pains.
Many people choose water births as common hydrotherapy, as it helps relax the individual and reduce pain.
There are various forms of hydrotherapy, and scientific evidence-based effects show how immersion therapies and aquatic exercises can improve health and alleviate pain while boosting the immune system.
Regardless of the type of hydrotherapy prescribed to you, you should take a comfortable swimming costume that promotes movement, a towel, and any medication you will need while exercising. This includes inhalers and glucose tablets, for example.
If you are looking for hydrotherapy pool installation in Edinburgh, Glasgow & Aberdeen area contact us today on Midlothian Indoor Pools to discuss your project.